


An End

by le_paquet_fou



Series: All Our Joy, All Our Pain [4]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, No Beta We Die Like Clones, Survivor Guilt, flashback to cadet times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:07:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24939550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/le_paquet_fou/pseuds/le_paquet_fou
Summary: A moment of grieving after burying the 332nd.
Series: All Our Joy, All Our Pain [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1762891
Comments: 1
Kudos: 30
Collections: AOJAOP Universe





	An End

Rex kneels at the final grave, his body aching and begging for rest. He feels numb, paralysed; unable to move, speak, or even think beyond raw emotions. His eyes sting with the tears he refused to let fall, and all he can do is stare at the helmet in front of him. The blue republic cog, smeared with dirt and blood, his blood, as the empty visor stares back at him. Disturbingly poetic, as Cody would say.

Cody. Gods he misses him. And Jesse. And all the other brothers he could have saved but didn’t. All because he was crazy enough to give some credence to a man written off as insane. But Cody wasn’t.

_Crazy idea, Rex..._

_What, are you saying it won’t work?_

_No, I’m saying don’t do it without me._

_You’ll get punished._

_I don’t care. I’m always with you, 100%. Promise._

And yet that didn’t turn out to be true. Not when it counted. If only he hadn’t been afraid and hesitant. If only he hadn’t been so damn dependent on Cody always being there, even if he didn’t approve. Maybe he could have saved his brothers. Maybe he could have at least saved the one that counted the most to him. But he didn’t. Only he was free. Free, and so very alone.

_You know we’ll have to go our separate ways. We don’t get to stay together just because we’re brothers._

_I know. But who knows, we might get lucky, see each other on the battlefield._

_Luck isn’t on our side, Codes._

_Well, I’ll be a commander. Nothing will stop me from requesting a certain CT unit to be transferred to my battalion, right?_

_Right…_

_So there we go. I’ll see you again, I promise._

Tears tremble silently down his face as he takes shaky breaths, steadying himself. He’ll have to leave soon; it’s not safe to stay here. So he’ll go, but not yet. Not yet.

“Ner kih’vode, vod’ike. Ni su’cuyi, gar kyr’adyc. Ni partayli, gar darasuum.”

**Author's Note:**

> Mando'a Translations  
> Ner kih'vod/ori'vod, vod'ika - My litte brother/big brother, dear brother  
> Ni su’cuyi, gar kyr’adyc. Ni partayli, gar darasuum - I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal
> 
> Kih'vod comes from [this post](https://thatfunkyopossum.tumblr.com/post/618471312409739264/todays-hot-take-is-vodika-probably-doesnt-mean)


End file.
